erwin_ve: a sag resistor is NOT a resistor in place of a choke. a resistor CAN be used in place of a choke transformer, and is used in certain designs, like on my Sovtek, for example. In either case the choke transformer or choke resistor, depending on what is being used works kinda like a built in line filter to help clean up the power signal a bit.

The sag resistor the OP is referring to is most likely what Nik is building into my HRM BM 50 watter which will be a resistor placed on the center HT lead coming out of the power transformer, which will help simulate having a tube rectifier. on mine this will be able be switched in and out.


Gregg

i can't speak on the OD Eq yet (my hrm bluesmaster is still being built), but the presence control add a little "sparkle" and "voice" to your sound. they were originally added on amps used for amplifying singers, and it adds a little more "human" quality to the sound, if that makes sense. it isn't a big difference, it's more subtle.

hope that helps

Gregg

If anyone ever wondered what a Sovtek Mig 50 looks like inside, here ya go. I'm doing my annual dust removal and cleaning the pots... they are almost totally gone.. so sad 

Tonemaster

Did you ever get the Pot installed on the PAB? if so how's it workin out?

thanks for all the advice and input guys! i'm most def gonna go for the ev 12" now, just gotta decide on the 15" now.

sduck, i dig on 10" speakers, too. i am prolly gonna get a 2x10" cab for the bluesmaster as well. And i know what ya mean by amp memory. my amp memory or "sound in my head" is my original princeton reverb amp, which of course had a 10" jensen in it. it was also modded with a crazy gain circuit that went thru the reverb section, kinda like the diaz mod, and also had a midrange control added. withmy old les paul, that gain circuit and a fuzz face that lil princeton went from a beautiful singing blackface to a dirty, nasty (in a good way) monster. oh how i miss it...

So as I wait for my HRM Bluesmaster to arrive, i am trying to decide what kind of speakers to pair it with. I am having a cabinet built by john @ thecabguy.com which will house 1x15" and 1x12" and will be convertible back. I pretty much have the 15" narrowed down to a weber michigan 15" but of course, i can't decide between alnicos or ceramics. as far as the 12" i am considering the EVM 12L, the weber blue dogs, weber 1265s,  or the weber michigan 12, and again have the same conundrum of choosing between alnicos or ceramics.

that being said, i am not trying to emulate a particular artist's sound, and i want the clean channel to sound as fender clean as possible (hence why i chose the HRM BM). I figure the OD channel will sound like a d style amp regardless and the speaker choices i have narrowed down to are some what "transparent" and should reproduce that sound faithfully. that being said, does anyone have any opinions?

Thanks, Blues, you are absolutely right, i am totally jumpin the gun, and should just play it and enjoy it, and let it break in. i love the cd player break in, i have done it before, and it does work! To be honest, i'm not looking for any particular artist's sound out of this thing, i love making my own tone/sound, this amp will be part of my arsenal in that goal, and will be added to my "wall of sound" i can't wait, though 

love that video! with regard to the PAB, i've been kinda brainstorming , and i came up with the idea of having pots on the two different resistors Nik is intalling for me to adjust the level of PAB a bit, if i i can find room for 'em. what do ya'll think?

yes, the sag resistor is switchable.  1/2 power switches always change tone, but not necessarily for the worse, sometimes it can yield an interesting tone.  I play all different styles of music, and just like to have the most "options" available out of one amp than i can get, saves my back at my age! my idea of having the post od switchable may not be a new one, but it interests me as it just gives another tonal dimension to play with.

So far I have Nik installing a 1/2 power switch, a resistor across the HT Taps to add a lil sag into the amp, which was Nik's idea, and i am adding a toggle switch to the PAB to switch between the stock 68k resistor that attaches to the mid pot and a 2m resistor that should allow for MEGA PAB lol. I may add a pot to those later to dial them in. I want to figure out how to switch the post OD tonestack out completely. Nik said that he wouldn't do that but it shouldn't be hard to do so. I think i figured out looking at it on the diagram. If i clip the X wire going into the Level Pot for the OD channel it should bypass the OD Tonestack out. Am i right in thinking this?

well, Nik's descriptions of the tone via the website and via email for one. i told him that i loved OD tone of the OTS, but that i wasn't really into the clean town. he remembered that i said  i like old blackface amps for the clean tone, and he told me that the clean channel was alot like a blackface. after listening to the sound clips, i agreed and it instantly sold me. up to a few weeks ago i had been communicating with Nik about building a JTM 45 with some mods and the prinzetone, now i can't hardly think of anything but the HRM BM. i will prolly still be getting the JTM45 and the prinztone, but i think the HRM will keep me busy for a while

Hey guys! After about 2 weeks of emailing Nik, I just placed my order for a HRM Bluesmaster 50 watt chassis with a few mods. I just want to say hello and say this is a great forum, and really helped me decide on which model to get and what mods to ask Nik to put in the amp. i'm truly excited about acquiring this amp and look forward to sharing my adventures in tweaking it and building cabs for it!

Rock on!

Gregg